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Hour 96-120 | Why We Tell Stories

Let's talk about one of the core building blocks of a good story.

Today we will look real fast at "what ifs".

MY STORY -​Although some of our stories involve hundreds of people and take years to make, they all begin with a simple idea about some world and character. What if we could see our spiritual life? What if a girl didn't know she was lost? What if our world was literally represented?

These what if questions invite the imagination into a story we want to explore. Let's look at how we use "what ifs".

So "what if" questions really drive that imagination. The best "what ifs" are questions that sort of feel like a key that unlocks a door. It really shuts down the logic part of your brain, and it lets you engage the dream part of your brain, and somehow it opens up the doors to imagination.

"What ifs" sort of seem to give the audience the permission the let their imaginations wonder. So when it came to writing and directing Literal Season 1, the thing that I came to first was what I wanted to say. "What if" we could finally see what our spiritual life and faith looked like? "What if" we could show that with vivid characters who represent literal forces or objects, like St. Church?

That was the big "what if" that I challenged the team with.

As Storytellers, these "what ifs" are not only fun, but they're a simple way to communicate a story idea and kick off our entire creative process. So it's important to be able to communicate stories in this concise way.

In this next exercise, you'll reframe your three favorite stories from yesterday in terms of what if statements.

Exercise 2: "What if"

Part A: Return to your 3 favorite stories and try reframing each of them in terms of a "what if" statement. Share these with someone (written or verbally) and see if they can guess what story it is from!

Part B: Now it's your turn. Come up with 3-5 of your own “what if” ideas.

You can submit your ideas in the Comments section below, or write them down in your story journal.

Your Perspective >

​S.C. TreeHouse is a company created by storytellers for the purpose of telling stories. No matter if it's a book, movie, TV show, YouTube channel, painting, radio drama, stage play, or simply parents entertaining their family, story is the most important part of all art and entertainment. It's what keeps us engaged; it's what inspires us, and ultimately, the story is what teaches us. After all, why do you think God taught in parables?